I’ve been using microfiber towels for a long time to clean around the house. I’ve noticed that over time, they would become less and less effective in absorbing moisture or picking up dirt and dust. I didn’t want to keep buying new sets of towels so I decided to do some research to find out what I was doing wrong. It turns out, I was washing my microfiber towels all wrong and I was irreversibly damaging the fibers.
Don’t make the same mistakes I used to make when washing my microfiber towels.
Use these 7 steps to properly wash your microfiber towels
1. Separate the Microfiber Towels from All Other Fabrics
2. Separate the Microfiber Towels According to their Use
3. Soak/Treat Soiled or Stained Towels
4. Set Your Washing Machine Settings
It’s important to understand how a material is made and what its properties are to know how to properly wash it. In the case of microfiber, it’s a synthetic material that has a very low heat tolerance. This means you won’t be able to wash it with hot water and should not dry it with heat. If you use heat, you run the risk of permanently damaging the fibers which will degrade or destroy the properties that make microfiber such an amazing material to begin with.
WARNING: Microfiber towels are very fragile when it comes to heat. You should never use hot water or dry them using heat or you risk the fibers melting. Temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit can damage the fibers
1. Separate Microfiber Towels from All Other Types of Fabric
You should never wash a microfiber towel with a cotton or any other fabric that produces lint. If you mix microfiber with another type of fabric, the microfiber towel will quickly clog with lint from the other fabric.
2. Separate the Microfiber Towels According to Their Use
Separate towels you use to clean your RV interior from the towels you use to dry off after a shower. This will make washing each type of cloth more efficient and you don’t run the risk of contaminating your microfiber bath towels with cleaning or wax agents. Bath towels are generally not dirty; especially if you compare them to a cloth you just used to clean the bug guts off the front of your RV after a long road trip.
Never use hot water to wash microfiber towels. The melting point of microfiber is 140 degrees Fahrenheit. You can permanently damage the microfiber fabric if you wash it using hot water.
3. Soak/Treat Soiled or Stained Towels
If you have a towel that is stained or caked with dirt or grease, you’ll need to treat it before washing for best results. Fill up a small bucket with cold to warm water (not hot) and let the towel sit for 30-40 minutes agitating gently a few times to try and loosen up the material that is clogging the microfibers.
4. Set your Washing Machine Settings
You’ll want to use these settings when washing the towels in an automatic washing machine:
Residential or Laundromat Washing Machine Settings for Microfiber
Normal Cycle – a normal level of tub agitation will help dislodge material trapped in the fibers
Water Temperature – Cold to Warm (do not exceed 100 degree F) – too hot and the fibers will be damaged
Extra rinse cycle – optional but recommended to help release any stubborn material
If you’re using a portable washing machine in your RV to wash your microfiber towels, your machine may not have the typical automatic settings you’d see on a residential washing machine. In that case, you may need to manually intervene in the washing process.
Portable Washing Machine Settings for Microfiber
Wash Cycle – You should be able to set your wash time using the timing dial which is essentially like setting the machine to a ‘normal cycle’ setting.
Water Temperature – The most important factor is controlling the temperature of the water. You’ll either manually fill the washer tub from a hose or shower head until it reaches the appropriate fill level. Use either cold or slightly warm water when manually filling the washer.
Extra Rinse Cycle – use this option if your machine has that setting. Otherwise, you’d just run another normal cycle without the detergent.
Looking for a portable washing machine for your RV?
Read – ‘Wash Laundry in an RV – Recommended Portable Washing Machines’
You’ll find my recommended portable machines and come away knowing if a portable washing machine is the right fit for you.
5. Add Detergent to the Washer
Only use liquid detergents that are free of dyes, scents, fabric softeners, and bleach. Do not use powdered detergent as it may not fully dissolve and will become trapped in the towels fibers, coating them with residue.
The detergent you use to wash the microfiber towels is very important. Using the wrong detergent can clog the microfibers or leave a residue behind that prevents the fibers from absorbing moisture or picking up dirt, dust, and other debris.
You can purchase microfiber specific detergents like the concentrated Super Detail Micro-Restore or use my #1 recommendation which is the Ecos Pro Free and Clear Liquid Detergent. The Ecos Pro detergent is plant based, hypoallergenic, biodegradable, and grey water tank safe.
In addition to the liquid detergent, you can use ¼ – ½ cup of white distilled vinegar to enhance the cleaning power of your washer. Put the vinegar into the bleach or fabric softener tray if you have one on your machine or add it to the extra rinse cycle to help breakup any stubborn stains or grease still trapped in the microfiber.
6. Start the Wash Cycle
One you’ve properly programmed your settings, added your detergent, and double checked the temperature control is cold or warm, start the washing machine. The wash cycle should take somewhere between 30-60 minutes depending on the machine and if you do an extra rinse cycle.
7. Dry the Microfiber Towels
The towels should be somewhat damp when they finish the spin cycle in the washer. The next step is to get them dry. Unless you have a washer dryer combo unit like a Splendide in your RV or you’re doing your laundry at a laundromat, you may not have access to a dryer. I’ll provide two separate sets of instructions for drying your microfiber towels: with a dryer and without a dryer.
Microfiber towels dry very quickly so I recommend hang drying your towels unless you have access to a dryer you don’t have to pay to run
How to Machine Dry Microfiber Towels
Clean the lint trap. You just got the towel’s fibers clean and there’s no reason to go clogging them again with lint from the dryer. Cleaning the trap will also improve the airflow in the dryer which will speed up the drying process.
Set the dryer to ‘Air’ or ‘Tumble’ dry. Use the lowest heat or no heat setting to keep from damaging the fibers.
Do not use dryer sheets or fabric softener sheets in the dryer. They will coat the fibers with a chemical residue that will ruin the towels effectiveness.
It should take about 30-60 minutes for the dry cycle to complete.
The main benefit of using a dryer is it recharges the electrostatic cling or charge that microfiber towels have that helps attract and lockup dust and other debris.
Towels that are dried in a machine will come out more fluffy and feel softer than towels that are hung on a rack to air dry
How to Hang Dry Microfiber Towels
Hang the towel on a floor rack or clothesline. You may be tempted to hang your newly cleaned towels outside but that is not recommended. If you hang a microfiber towel outside from a line, it will catch whatever dust or pollen is in the air and trap it in its fibers. Hang the towels inside.
Microfiber towels will dry much faster than you’d expect with proper airflow. You can speed up the hang dry process by using a fan.
Related Questions:
What is Microfiber?
Microfiber is a very fine synthetic fiber made from polyester, polyamides (nylon, kevlar, nomex, etc), polypropylene, or a combination of these fibers. The type of fibers used to construct the material determines its properties.
The microfiber cleaning cloths you typically see in an automotive shop or around the house are either 100% polyester or a blend of polyester and polyamide (nylon).
Why use Microfiber?
When compared to cotton, microfiber has a greater ability to lift and hold dirt and moisture. A microfiber cloth will lift and trap dirt and moisture while a cotton cloth will hold dirt and moisture on the surface and leave residue behind. The lifting and trapping action of a microfiber cloth makes it a very efficient, effective tool for cleaning or drying tasks.
This may seem odd, but I actually advocate switching your bath towels in your RV from cotton to microfiber. While cotton is soft to the touch, it takes FOREVER to dry, especially in humid climates. Microfiber bath towels are actually more absorbent than cotton and will dry in the fraction of the time it takes a cotton towel to dry, regardless of the climate.